(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-765B-1e, PA

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, cataloged as Fuld 765B-1e. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Struck in white metal, this die combination (Fuld 765B-1e) is somewhat scarce. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. White metal (a tin-based alloy) pieces are scarcer than copper and often show significant wear from their soft composition. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 5 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765B-1e